After the bath, Leo sprawled across the bed, his damp hair making tiny wet spots on the pillow. Austin sat beside him, flipping through a selection of bedtime storybooks.
"Mom," Leo said suddenly, his golden eyes sparkling with curiosity, "why did Grandma help that Lena ? That slap mark on her face was obviously fake makeup."
Austin sighed, carefully choosing her words. She ran her fingers through " Eliot"'s still-damp hair.
"Lena grew up in the Blair house," she explained softly. "To your grandmother, she's practically a daughter. Family is... complicated that way."
"Sometimes it's easier to let someone save face than to call them out in front of everyone," she continued. "Even when they're wrong."
Leo scrunched his nose, clearly dissatisfied with this adult logic. "But s
